


Insomnia of the Heart

by Ingenueity



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cuddling, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Innuendo, NO REASON for cuddling but it happens anyway, Oneshot, We have a BETA glenn is SAFE, anti-social distancing, i wrote this during the corona virus quarantine so there's that, i wrote this for myself but y’all can read this if you want to, the title is too dramatic for this seriously it's just a oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23206051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ingenueity/pseuds/Ingenueity
Summary: Hilda looked down at his untouched meal. The saddest steamed vegetables she had ever seen in her life sat on his plate; cold and alone from being left out too long. She briefly wondered how long Lindhardt had been there.In which two of Garreg Mach's laziest students decide to take a much needed nap together. It only makes sense.
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril / Lindhardt von Hevring
Kudos: 22





	Insomnia of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> edits brought to you by the wonderful beta angelfishinamerica!! seriously, thank you so much!
> 
> i would type in some random words like (put fire emblem december month here) and they would change it to ethereal moon. literally THANK YOU.

With a coordinated swing of Hilda's wooden axe, she knocked Caspar off of his feet. He, yet again, had underestimated her brute strength with an axe. Her opponent hit the ground hard under the force of the mighty blow. Upon trying to get up, he felt his legs suddenly turn to jelly and he fell backwards into a pile of wet leaves.

"Ouch! You really don't hold back, do you?" Caspar asked, rubbing his head. "Hilda, take it as a compliment when I say you're the  _ last _ person I'd want to meet on the battlefield. Especially when you've got an axe in your hand."

"Sorry, sorry!" Hilda extended her hand to her sparring partner. "I didn't think I would swing that hard! I guess I really don't know my own strength, huh!" She said, winking.

"No worries." Caspar stood up as he swatted the leaves away from his armor. And just like that, he had recovered; his endurance was admirable to say the least. "Aside from a few more bruises, what's new? They make me look tough!"

"You are so tough!" Hilda agreed, roughing up his hair.

"Thanks!" Caspar said with a large grin. "So you're going to have to do a lot more than that to kill me! Besides, Lindhardt and Professor agree that either slipping from running or eating too fast is more likely to kill me than fighting. I think they're placing bets or something?"

"That's so morbid!' Hilda gasped. "But dying because of eating ...seriously?"

"It's also probably a joke." Caspar laughed. "Yeaaah, they both say it's because I eat so fast that I'll end up choking. But who has time to eat when there's training to be done? Of course I'm gonna finish as fast as I can!"

"Oh that's the reason you always finish so fast?” Hilda tilted her head to the side impishly.

"H-hey! That's not-!"

"Oh, Caspar, you know how I love to tease you." Hilda said. She placed a hand to her stomach as she felt it growl. "But now that you mention it, I am positively starving. Wanna catch a bite with me in the dining hall?" Hilda asked.

"I've got more training to do! And I'm going to be here all night if I want a chance at beating you!" Caspar said as he picked up his training axe. The determination was already back in his eyes as he set off to find a new training partner. Caspar yelled over his shoulder, "Maybe you can catch Professor and Lindhardt though!! They should still be in the dining hall!"

"Ooh? Do you think they'll let me in on their little bet?" Hilda said, picking up her axe and swinging it over her shoulder. As she made her way over to the dining hall her thoughts were already swirling full of what cute little desserts they might have on the menu.

Upon entering the dining hall, Hilda noticed it was packed full. Knights, merchants, and allies stood elbow to elbow as they chattered noisily. The menu must have been particularly good that day for the hall to be as overcrowded as it was. Hilda loved the dining hall and all of its sociality. For this very reason, it was probably her favorite place in the monastery.

Hilda expected to see the Professor there deep in conversation with the rest of the Golden Deer, but when she arrived she only saw Lindhardt. He was there in the dining hall dozing off with groups of people surrounding him on either side. He probably wasn't completely oblivious to them. His smug indifference usually meant he didn't care.  _ His sheer confidence was commendable if not a little misguided _ , Hilda thought. Besides, his face did look rather pretty while he slept. 

“Lindhardt, why bother sitting in the dining hall if all you're going to do is sleep?” Hilda walked up to his table and sat across from him. “I can't imagine this is the quietest place for a nap. Why not chat it up while you’re here?"

"With whom?"

"With me! Let's talk about dreamy knights in shining armor!" Hilda said.

"I'm going back to sleep." Lindhardt closed his eyes again. After a few moments of Hilda's incessant staring, he gave in. "Alright." Lindhardt said, opening one eye. "Hilda, what is it that you want?"

"I already told you. I want to talk. I just spent the entire afternoon axe-training with Caspar and, although I love his fighting spirit, you can imagine our conversations are very limited."

"No witty banter?" Lindhardt asked, resting his chin on his palm.

"Nope! Just the usual shouting and grunting." Hilda said, placing her chin on her palms. She wondered if mimicking his actions might evoke some sort of reaction from him.  _ Would his brow furrow in irritation or would he simply frown in disapproval? _ Not that she particularly wanted to irritate Lindhardt, she just wanted his attention.

"Terribly gauche. That sounds like Caspar." Lindhardt said. As usual, he took no notice of her behavior. "Although, if it were me, I'd at least attempt a conversation rather than be completely discourteous. That is the very least I could do."

"Are you volunteering to be my new sparring partner!?" Hilda asked, already knowing the answer.

"No." Lindhardt shook his head. "Too much work. Besides, I am already engaged in a state of battle with my chronic fatigue."

"See, this is why we should talk more, Lindhardt! I completely understand. Fighting is for the great knights and heroes of F ó dlan, not delicate flowers such as ourselves. We should be lazing about together on rose-colored sheets sipping imported wine and having engaging conversations like this one.” Hilda said.

“ That’s a bit excessive, don’t you think?” Lindhardt said. He stared at her as if whatever she had said finally piqued his interest. 

“I try not to think.” Hilda said with a wink, “Too much work!  So, are you about to head to sleep then?"

"I was making my way there eventually." Lindhardt said, though he maintained his steady gaze. Even with his lethargic movements, his eyes betrayed the fact his mind was hard away at work; it looked as if he was examining her from head to toe when he spoke next, "I was just having a quick bite to eat before bed."

Hilda looked down at his untouched meal. The saddest steamed vegetables she had ever seen in her life sat on his plate; cold and alone from being left out too long. She briefly wondered how long Lindhardt had been there.

"Okay! Well, I'll leave you to it. I’ll head back to my room as well." Hilda smiled as she began to stand, "I don't want to interfere with your evening plans." 

_ Alright _ . Hilda had tried and she definitely knew when to take a hint. Their little talk was going nowhere interesting. And Lindhardt was ever insistent in wanting to get back to his nap as soon as possible. Hilda felt that maybe she had betrayed some sort of unspoken pact between them to keep their interaction to a minimum. 

Truth be told, Hilda felt there was a certain justification for not spending a lot of time with Lindhardt. At a first glance, Hilda and Lindhardt were kindred spirits in every way. But aside from his frequent bouts of apathetic commentary that both intrigued and irritated her, Hilda suspected there was another reason they clashed. She always felt Lindhardt was privy to her act. Whether she was feigning fragility or politely asking for favors, he always saw right through her. But she couldn’t blame him. They were cut from the same cloth after all, both parties equally lazy in their own right. It was comparable to looking in a mirror but instead of seeing an adorably cute girl staring back at her, she was met with a cold, analytical gaze insistent that it knew the sort of game she played.

"Wait. Hold on for a moment!” Lindhardt said hurriedly. There was something different in his voice, although Hilda couldn’t quite place it. And for some odd reason, her heart began to beat faster. Lindhardt continued, “Haven't you just arrived from battle training? You must be terribly hungry."

“Oh, you’re right!” Hilda gasped. Amidst their conversation, Hilda had completely forgotten the fact that she was actually starving. Her stomach rumbled again at the mention of food. “I’m going to go see what’s on the menu!” Hilda waved goodbye and went to stand in line with several other acquaintances she knew by face only. Finally, amidst a different crowd she felt the beating in her chest relax. How strange it was, she thought, that Lindhardt with all of his eccentricities would make her feel that way.

The wait for dinner was tedious. Fifteen minutes later, Hilda finally took her plate from the counter. Dinner looked delicious: bread bowl tomato and basil soup, steamed vegetables, and a tiny noa-shaped marzipan dessert. Hilda wanted to dig into the delicious food right away, but first she had to find a place to sit. She glanced around the dining hall, which was still overcrowded with people. It looked like there was only one empty space left…

“Hi I’m back,” Hilda said as she sat back down across from Lindhardt. He hadn’t moved an inch, except this time he greeted her as she sat down. He seemed, for the most part, very awake. Although attentive, it was still rather hard to pinpoint exactly what he was thinking.

“I saved you a place to sit.” Lindhardt said as he picked up his fork. He delicately prodded a vegetable on his own plate, observing how it rolled. Otherwise, his food remained unbothered. Hilda ate her meal and engaged in pleasant conversation with Lindhardt. A full stomach seemed to make any false pretenses melt away. Here and there, Lindhardt would even smile and laugh at her jokes. The sound of his laugh caused Hilda’s heart to flutter. 

“Thanks for the lovely meal!” Hilda said. “I mean it when I say we really should hang out more often.”

"How about now? Care to join me for my nap?" Lindhardt asked.

Oh. Now _ this _ was an interesting development, Hilda thought.

"Sleeping together?" Hilda leaned in on her elbows, intrigue eating away at her as she continued her playful tone. “I’m shocked that you of all people would suggest something like that after just one pleasant conversation. Huh. I never really took you as the perverse type, Lindhardt.”

“I’m not,” Lindhardt said.

"Ok, so you aren’t. Still, I can’t blame you for seeking out the attention of one of the monestary’s cutest girls and asking her out," Hilda stated. “Just to clarify, you want me in your bed and you know about my reputation. Am I misunderstanding something?” Hilda reached forward and took the plate from in front of Lindhardt. The steamed vegetables were cold but still appetizing. “Are you going to finish these?”

“They’re all yours.” Lindhardt didn’t look particularly perturbed by the fact that his meal was taken or that he was being accused of lecherous intent. “I apologize for any miscommunication. You said something earlier that sounded, well… nice, to put it plainly.”   
  
“About us napping on silk sheets and drinking wine?” Hilda laughed as she shoveled another vegetable into her mouth.

“Yes.” Lindhardt smiled a little, maintaining his unwavering eye contact. “I truthfully haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.” Hilda had never before heard him speak so earnestly.

  
“Oooh! You want a sleepover then!” Hilda bounced excitedly. This was the last thing she had expected. “Lin, you should have said so from the beginning! I’ll bring some of the treats my brother sent me and we’ll have a wonderful night.” 

“So we’re in agreement?” He agreed faster than anticipated, looking exceedingly happy about the prospect of a sleepover.  _ Something about his smile was so endearing _ .

“Yep!” Hilda took a bite of steamed carrot. When she finished the plate clean she pushed it back to him. “I’ll go freshen up and meet you in your room.”

\---

Hilda entered Lindhardt’s room without knocking. He was sitting at his desk, thoroughly distracted by several large books open. This was his other side. When he wasn’t lazing about, he was actually quite the studious individual. Even though his attendance was always poor, his grades remained perfect. Hilda secretly wished she had his talent. He acknowledged her by slowly raising his right hand in a slight wave.

Hilda held her striped pajamas, two of her own pillows under her arms, and a specially wrapped package of candies between her teeth. She had just come from the bathhouse and her pink hair was still slightly damp. She set everything she was carrying down on his bed and tied her hair up loosely in a ponytail. 

“I thought you’d already be fast asleep.” Hilda took off her boots and undid her corset. “You find the strangest times to do your work.”

“I hardly consider this work. I’ve just been doing a bit of research into crests lately and I heard a most fascinating account from a nearby village to back up my theory. I’m positively curious so I had to look into it right away,” Lindhardt said, not looking up from his work.

“What’s your theory?” Hilda pulled her blouse off and folded it on a desk; her bra followed.

“It’s about crests and how they’re passed down,” he said, scribbling something on parchment and taking another look at his book.

  
“I want to hear it,” she said. 

“Well, we already know that crest-bearers come from a long-standing lineage of nobility. And although we know that crests are usually hereditary, we can’t yet explain why crests manifest in those with no noble relations. Well, I do think there’s a correlation, but before today, there was no evidence...” Lindhardt began slowly at first. He talked for quite a while explaining his theory thoroughly and with surprising enthusiasm. When he was finished he leaned back in his chair, letting out a slight yawn. "Of course I still have to actually get a sample before I have definitive proof," he said.

“Wow. That’s actually... really cool,” Hilda said. "You're really intelligent, you know?"

“When it suits me.” Lindhardt said, although it was obvious he was trying to suppress a grin. He scribbled something down in a notebook and looked up at her. “Something tells me you’re the same.”

“I haven’t the faintest clue what you mean.” Hilda said reaching for her pajama top and buttoning it all the way up. She carefully moved some of his unopened books to the side, glancing over the titles. Every single one of his books was three inches thick and some were even written in other languages. Yep. Just as she thought. Some of these books were way too advanced for her.

Lindhardt had a perplexed look on his face. It was as if Hilda's interest in his studies made him lose interest in his work altogether and focus solely on her. It was the softening of his features that made him seem like a completely different person as he looked at her. His blue eyes were hazy with affection and, ever so slightly, she could see a smile on his face.

“Lindhardt.” Hilda patted the top of his head. His hair was awfully soft. “You’re acting  _ weeeird _ ! I really think you could use some sleep.”

“You know, I think you’re the first person to tell me I actually need  _ more _ sleep,” Lindhardt said. “I confess, I admire your bluntness.” Lindhardt didn’t take much prompting to start preparations for bed. He stood, pushed his chair and began to unbutton his robes.

Lindhardt's bed was the same standard size as the rest of the beds in the monastery meaning it was an incredibly snug fit. For two people, fitting in together was going to be a challenge. Hilda moved the sheets aside so she could snuggle in. The pillows were downy and soft.  _ Of course he'd be particular about his bedding _ , Hilda thought as she sank down into the mattress. 

"So comfy! I could honestly fall asleep just like this right now."

“Mhmm.” Lindhardt hummed getting into the bed right next to Hilda. "That makes two of us."

Hilda pulled the covers up to her shoulders and scooted slightly so Lindhardt could fit right next to her. He was naturally warm and his gentle touch sent shivers down her spine. Her mind practically stopped working. 

"I'm going to have a hard time getting out of bed tomorrow." Hilda laughed it off. “It’s going to be so cold in the morning.”

Although there was no longer any snow outside, it was still the Ethereal Moon and there was a cold draft to the room. Hilda rubbed her forearms to try to warm herself up.

"You're cold?" Lindhardt asked.

"Only a little."

Hilda felt a shift in bedweight. She didn't look behind her but she knew Lindhardt was getting up. A few moments later he returned and draped something heavy over the top of the sheets. It dawned upon her that this was a weighted blanket, only furthering support for him being so particular about his bedding. Still, it was incredibly warm and comforting; she couldn’t rightly complain.

"This is one of my favorite possessions," Lindhardt said. Hilda felt his breath on her neck as he talked. "It was a gift. But I can't recall exactly who it's from... I've thought about it many times before." Lindhardt said. His voice was monotone and relaxing. Hilda felt like there was nothing more to say or ask, but she wanted his voice to continue soothing her. 

"It's lovely,” she said in a hushed tone, her entire body still not quite on the verge of sleep. A certain restlessness had taken hold and she found herself shuffling about. And for a moment there was nothing but silence.

"Lindhardt?" Hilda asked, curious if he would respond. She wondered if he had fallen asleep.

"Yes?" He replied a few seconds later. His voice was quiet but it was there.

"Can you… hold me?" Hilda asked. Half of her expected him to question why, or to pry into why she had such a bizarre request. Instead, she felt arms wrap around her from behind and hold her close.

"Thank you,” she said as she felt his forehead nestle against her back.

"Anything for you," Lindhardt said.

Hilda wondered if she had heard him right. He was such a collected individual and hardly one to invest in other people... She wondered if he truly meant what he said. She was going to respond, but she heard his gentle sigh and felt the rise and fall of his chest. He was sleeping peacefully.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on twitter @bigfishiekisses


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